What does a student learn in StateDelaware,GradeGrade 9,SubjectEnglish Language Arts?

Students back up their ideas with specific lines or details pulled directly from the story or passage. They also read between the lines to draw conclusions the text implies but never states outright.

Students find the main message or theme of a story or poem, then trace how it builds across the text. They also summarize the key details that support it.

Students trace how characters, conflicts, and turning points connect and shape each other across a story or play. The focus is on why things unfold the way they do, not just what happens.

Students figure out what words actually mean in context, including when an author uses figurative language or loaded word choices. They also look at how those word choices shift the mood or meaning of a passage.

Students look at how a story or poem is built, tracing how a single sentence or paragraph connects to the sections around it and shapes the meaning of the whole piece.

Students figure out who is telling the story and why it matters. They look at how that narrator's position, bias, or goal changes what gets included, what gets left out, and how the writing sounds.

Students compare what a written story says with how the same idea comes across in a film, podcast, image, or chart. They weigh what each format adds or loses.

Students read a persuasive text and judge whether the argument holds up: is the reasoning sound, and does the evidence actually support the claim?

Two texts can explore the same idea in very different ways. Students read two or more literary works on a similar theme and examine how each author shapes that idea differently.

Students read full-length novels, plays, poems, and nonfiction on their own, handling challenging vocabulary and ideas without step-by-step help.

Students back up their ideas with direct quotes or specific details pulled from the text. Reading closely means noticing what the author actually says, then drawing reasonable conclusions from it.

Students find the main point of a nonfiction article or passage, trace how that point builds across paragraphs, and write a summary that captures the key details without copying the text word for word.

Students trace how a person, event, or idea changes across an article or essay, and explain what drives those changes. The focus is on connections: how one thing leads to or shapes another.

Students figure out what words mean in context, including when an author uses technical terms, emotional language, or figurative expressions. Then they look at how those word choices shift the overall feeling or message of a piece.

Students look at how a nonfiction article or essay is built, tracing how one paragraph sets up the next and how individual sentences connect to the piece's main point.

Students examine who wrote a text and why, then explain how those choices affected what got included, what got left out, and how the writing sounds.

Students read the same topic across different formats, such as a news article, a chart, and a video clip, then judge which sources explain it best and how the pieces fit together.

Students read a nonfiction text and judge whether the writer's argument holds up. They check if the reasoning makes sense and if the evidence actually supports the claim being made.

Students read two or more articles or essays on the same topic, then compare how each author frames the subject, what each one leaves out, and where their approaches line up or pull apart.

Students read full-length articles, essays, and nonfiction books on their own, without heavy scaffolding. The texts are genuinely complex, the kind a college course or serious job might require.

Students write a persuasive essay that takes a clear position on a real topic or text, then backs it up with solid reasoning and specific evidence from sources.

Students write essays or reports that explain a complex topic clearly, using well-chosen details and organized paragraphs to help readers actually understand it.

Students write a story, real or invented, with a clear sequence of events, specific details that make the scene feel real, and techniques that keep a reader engaged.

Writing fits the assignment. Students match how they organize and phrase their work to the purpose of the piece and who will read it, whether that's a persuasive essay, a lab summary, or a personal narrative.

Students plan, draft, and revise their writing until it actually says what they mean. That might mean editing a few sentences or scrapping a paragraph and starting over.

Students use word processors, websites, and online tools to write, publish, and share their work with others.

Students pick a focused question and research it, then write up what they found. Short projects might wrap up in a day or two; longer ones build over weeks into a deeper investigation.

Students pull facts from books and websites, check whether each source can be trusted, and weave the information into their own writing without copying.

Students pull quotes and details from what they read to back up their own analysis or research. The evidence has to connect clearly to the point they're making.

Students write often, in short bursts and over longer stretches, for different reasons and different readers. Practice across both speeds builds the habit of adjusting what they write to fit the task.

Students come to discussions ready to engage, not just to talk. They listen to what others say, build on it, and make their own points clearly enough to actually move the conversation forward.

Students pull together information from sources like charts, videos, and speeches to decide what the evidence actually shows. They evaluate whether each source makes the point stronger or weaker.

Students listen to a speaker and judge whether the argument holds up: Is the reasoning sound? Is the evidence real? Are persuasion tactics being used to paper over weak logic?

Students organize a spoken presentation so listeners can follow the argument from start to finish, matching the structure and tone to the audience and purpose.

Students choose charts, images, or video clips to support a spoken presentation, picking visuals that clarify the point rather than just decorate the slide.

Students shift how they speak depending on the situation, using formal language for a class presentation or debate and a more casual tone when the moment calls for it.

Students write and speak using standard English grammar: complete sentences, correct verb forms, and clear pronoun agreement. This standard covers the grammar rules teachers expect in formal writing and class discussion.

Students follow standard rules for capitalizing words, using punctuation marks, and spelling correctly in their writing. By grades 9-10, this means applying those rules consistently across essays, arguments, and other formal writing.

Students practice choosing words and sentence structures that fit the situation, whether writing a formal essay or a casual email. They also study how those same choices shape meaning when reading or listening to others.

When students hit an unfamiliar word, they use context clues or break the word into parts like roots and prefixes to figure out what it means. If those don't work, a dictionary or subject-specific reference fills the gap.

Students interpret figures of speech like metaphors and irony, notice how words relate to each other, and pick up on subtle differences in meaning. The goal is reading and writing with more precision.

Students build a working vocabulary of precise, subject-specific words and use them accurately in reading, writing, and conversation at a level that prepares them for college or a job.